Blood Bearon (High House Ursa Book 5) Read online

  “Are we going where I think we’re going?” Rachel asked after twenty minutes or so had gone by.

  “Probably.”

  “Right. Can you elaborate on why?” she asked.

  “Trust,” he said. “You told me partnerships were built on trust. On knowing that one has the other’s back. So now, I’m trusting you with something that very few have been trusted with.”

  Rachel tapped the steering wheel. “Does this relate to our case?”

  He shook his head. “Not really. Not directly at least, but it will help you to understand the tools you have at your disposal, and so that in the future you’re prepared for what we encounter. I can’t have you freezing up on me. Not if we’re going to handle this ourselves.”

  Khove didn’t bother telling Rachel that he had his doubts about the two of them taking Korred down alone. The man was a horrifically powerful mage. They were going to need serious backup for that. But if they could find him, then Khove could summon that backup.

  Along the way though, he knew magic would come into play, and he couldn’t have Rachel going into further harm’s way without knowing the truth.

  Something told him she could handle this. Her mind was strong. Analytical. She would accept the truth, because she would be shown it.

  Hopefully.

  “I see your smoking trees are out,” Rachel said wryly as they headed past the place of Korred’s attack.

  “Yes, so it would seem,” he agreed, surprising himself with a little chuckle.

  The pressure of what he was about to do was starting to eat away at him, and even his normally casual attitude toward everything was starting to waver. After all, this was a big deal to both sides.

  If Rachel could handle what she was about to see, then their partnership could ascend to new levels, and they could ensure events like the night before never happened again.

  But if she didn’t…

  That wasn’t worth thinking about, he told himself. It simply wasn’t going to happen that way. He’d had long enough to evaluate her now, and everything he’d seen pointed toward her being able to handle this. Still, there was reason they were doing it here, where nobody else could see them, and where she could take time to assimilate this new knowledge.

  “Well, this is fancy,” Rachel remarked as the gates swung open and she guided them down the driveway and into the forest. “How far does it go?”

  “Far enough,” he teased with a smile.

  Coming home was his favorite.

  “Oh wow,” Rachel breathed minutes later as they finally cleared the edge of the forest and the snow-covered lawns of Ursidae Manor spread out before them. Here and there, clumps of trees dotted the property, but for the most part, smooth rolling hills stretched out into the distance. In the middle of them all…

  “You live there?” she yelped as the true scope of the Manor registered with her. “It’s…it’s huge.”

  That was a bit of an understatement. Built originally in the late sixteenth century, and then expanded upon again every few decades, it was a hodgepodge of architectural styles and designs that nonetheless seemed to blend together smoothly, transitioning with ease from one to the next, so that there were no harsh lines.

  Smooth-sided columns and arched windows, high spires and peaked roofs gave way to brick and mortar. It should have clashed with the senses, but it was all tied together so uniquely that it simply stole one’s breath. Even Khove was awed by the beauty each time he was greeted with this view.

  “That’s a hell of a house.”

  “It’s the company headquarters as well,” he explained.

  “Ah. That makes a bit more sense. Sort of. Random spot to have such a place though. In the middle of nowhere, not even close to a major city?”

  He shrugged.

  “Okay, mister. Keep your secrets. But tell me, what’s out here that you couldn’t tell me in town?” Rachel asked, following his directions as the road forked, taking them down into the underground parking instead of to the roundabout that served as the grand entryway. “Holy shit.”

  Row upon row of cars spread out before them. Exotic luxury vehicles, classic muscle and sports cars, and lean, sharp-angled hypercars many people only ever saw online, all spread out before them in a smorgasbord of vehicular delight.

  “Privacy,” he said once she’d picked her jaw up.

  “Privacy,” she repeated dully, lifting an eyebrow questioningly.

  “Yes. What I’m about to show you—”

  “Show?” she interjected. “I thought you were going to explain something to me.”

  “I am,” he said. By showing you, it will explain and… never mind. It’s complicated, okay? But you’ll understand why we work so hard to keep it secret.”

  “We?” Rachel asked.

  He grinned, enjoying watching her brain work. Even here, overwhelmed by her surroundings, she was still asking questions, trying to get more information from him. It was impressive. Khove looked forward to working with her more.

  As long as she doesn’t crack under what you’re about to show her.

  It was a legitimate worry. Khove couldn’t exactly prepare her for what she was about to see. It simply had to be shown. Otherwise, she’d think it some sort of trick, an illusion, or any number of other excuses that had occurred over the years. His nerves were firing like crazy as they exited the vehicle, leaving it in an empty “guest” spot, and heading deep into the bowels of the Manor.

  “Who is this we, Khove?” she pressed, trying to break his silence. “Not you?”

  “All of us.”

  Rachel sighed. “All of who? What are you even talking about?”

  “You’ll see,” he assured her, his boots sounding heavily on the stone as they emerged into an old part of the Manor.

  “Uh, Khove? Why are there prison cells in your House?” Rachel asked uneasily.

  “It’s a long story. But they’re useful, for situations like now.”

  Rachel backed away from him abruptly, then relaxed when she realized he wasn’t about to toss her into one. Then he stunned her by stepping back into a large one and pulling it closed after him.

  “Do you feel safe?” he asked, pounding on the thick bars as hard as he could. They didn’t budge.

  “I suppose. Why shouldn’t I though? And why are you in a cell? You haven’t done anything wrong.”

  “Because what you’re about to see is going to scare you.” He pulled off his shirt. “Probably terrify you.” He undid his belt. “You’re probably going to assume it’s magic.” His pants dropped to the floor. “You’re going to think about running.”

  Rachel stared at him. “You have a really, really weird way of trying to seduce women.”

  He laughed nervously. “Not the intent. Just please, all I ask, is that you don’t run away. You can scream. Lock yourself in your own cell. Whatever. Just…don’t run away. You are not in any danger, despite what you may think.”

  “Well, duh. You can’t get your hands on me. But if you brought me all the way here for a strip show, then you—”

  Rachel broke off in a strangled gasp as he initiated the change.

  19

  Khove’s skin rippled.

  There was no other way to describe it. It was like a blast of air ran across his skin from head to toe, creating waves as it went. Except there was no air flowing that she could feel, which meant his skin had moved all on its own.

  Then he began to sprout thick brown hair the color of mud. It ran up his legs, across his…his…well it didn’t stop there and continued up his stomach, as she saw once her eyes ripped away from his crotch. When had he gotten naked? The question seemed so silly compared to what she was seeing!

  What happened next was even crazier. Khove exploded in size. His skin—no, it was fur now—bulged and expanded, doubling, then tripling in size and not slowing down. Huge claws burst from his feet, and she grimaced as his arm joints abruptly reversed themselves. None of what she was seeing looked pleasant.
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  This was when his face shuddered and abruptly jutted forward as bone cracked and reshaped itself in a nauseating symphony. Rachel’s stomach roiled, but as soon as it was there, it was gone.

  Just like Khove.

  All that remained of the giant human was the pile of clothing in the corner.

  And yet that wasn’t all. Rachel met the eyes of the entirely far too large bear that now occupied the majority of the cell, explaining the huge size of the unit, and she realized that despite its inhuman look, there was still…

  “That’s not possible,” she gasped, realizing she was about to think that there was still some Khove in it. “It can’t be.”

  The rational, non-trained part of her brain was panicking, but years of obeying commands to run toward fire, gunshots and other danger clamped down on that response and overwhelmed it. This, she realized, this was what Khove wanted to show her, what he’d been so clearly brooding about and concerned over.

  Also, bears were predators and if she ran, it would come after her. There was that very important bit of information to consider as well.

  Except, this one is locked in a cell. With bars that it can’t break. Supposedly.

  “That’s a hell of a parlor trick,” she breathed, leaning heavily on the bars behind her for support.

  The bear shuffled in a slow circle, tossing its head, then abruptly sat down and rested its giant skull against the bar, staring through it with one yellow-brown eye. Whatever it was, the creature seemed peaceful enough.

  “Am I supposed to believe this is you?” she scoffed, looking around, starting to calm down. “Where are you Khove, you can come out now!”

  The eye rolled in a circle and the bear made a rude noise. A human styled noise.

  “Oh, very good.” She clapped her hands a few times. “You’ve taught it well.”

  The bear shuffled, bringing up one of its paws to the cell. Rachel frowned as it started fiddling at it with the other paw. What the heck was going on?

  The giant creature’s mouth suddenly dropped open in what she could only describe as a happy smile, and it slammed the original paw up against the cage again. She peered forward, then stopped, mouth open wide.

  “Did you teach your bear to give me the finger?” she shouted at the empty space. “Seriously?”

  The bear chuffed happily, holding up the singular claw, while his other paw held the rest down, giving the very real impression he was flipping her off.

  “Real mature, Khove,” she said in disgust. “But I thought we were coming here for a serious reason. Not for you to show me you’re some mid-level magician.”

  The bear suddenly roared and slammed its bulk against the cell. The bars shuddered under the tremendous impact and Rachel backed away. It started to gesture wildly with its paws, pointing at the clothes, at itself, then her.

  “You can’t seriously expect me to believe you’re Khove,” she said after recovering her composure, arms still crossed tightly under her breasts.

  The bear hung its head, then began to shift back. Rachel watched in sick fascination at the jerky, awkward-looking transition. It certainly wasn’t at all what she would have expected from a magic trick.

  Could he possibly…

  All at once, Khove was back where the bear had once stood, breathing slightly heavier, and still naked.

  “For someone with an analytical mind, you sure are skeptical,” he muttered. “What else do I need to do to convince you that what you just saw is real?”

  There was something about his voice, and the eyes of the bear. The gestures were so humanoid in motion.

  “You’re serious,” she said slowly.

  “Yes, I’m serious!” he half-shouted, resting his forearms against the cell bars, making no move to get dressed.

  Not that she was complaining. He took phenomenal care of his body and it showed…everywhere. Yet it was still more than a little distracting. Definitely more than a “little”.

  “I don’t believe it.” But she was in denial, because part of Rachel did believe him.

  “I jumped off a two-story roof with you yesterday and barely noticed. I took six bullets to the back, and they left nothing but bruises, which are even now gone. What else do you need to see from me?” Khove growled.

  “I…” she faltered in her protests. “You did get shot? Why didn’t you say something? We should have had you get looked at. Even if you were wearing a bulletproof vest, you could still have suffered damage!”

  Khove pushed off the cell bars violently. She firmly kept her eyes locked on his, ignoring the sway of—Stop it!

  “I wasn’t wearing a vest,” he rumbled. “Unless my skin counts.”

  “You’re bulletproof,” she said dully.

  Khove nodded slowly. “To an extent. Armorpiercing stuff is…not cool. But handguns yes, the blunt impact is shrugged aside.”

  “Right. So, you’re stronger.”

  “Much. Faster too. I heal quicker.” Khove shrugged helplessly.

  “And then there’s the minor fact you can turn into a giant bear!” She buried her face in her hands momentarily, trying to keep control. “Thank you for at least locking yourself in a cell so I was safe.”

  Rachel wasn’t entirely sure when she’d gone from disbelief to acceptance, but it just sort of happened. There was too much strangeness about Khove and the things she’d seen him do, and this did explain it all.

  “Ah, yeah. No problem,” Khove said, at last pulling on his clothes.

  She nodded wearily, watching as he went to the cell door and casually pushed it open.

  “But…you closed it!” she gaped. “They lock automatically when you do that…”

  “At the police station,” he told her. “These are older. They need a key.”

  “You tricked me!” she snapped, unimpressed.

  “It was me in there,” he informed her. “You weren’t in any more danger than you were when, say, you kissed me last night.”

  She scoffed. “I had just about been blown up, and was standing close to a burning building. That qualifies as mild danger level.”

  “You were perfectly safe. I am the bear, Rach,” he said calmly, using the short form of her name for the first time.

  For some reason, that pierced her bubble more than anything else. This was still Khove. He was still the man she…the… “I need a drink,” she muttered. “this is a lot to take in.”

  “I know,” he admitted, wrapping her into a hug she didn’t resist. “I know. There’s really no easy way to go about revealing this though. It’s kind of an all or nothing thing.”

  “You could have said something,” she protested weakly.

  “I’d rather have you see it and not believe, than look at me and think I was legitimately in need of mental help,” Khove said quietly. “I don’t want that kind of hurt.”

  Suddenly, she realized that, as difficult as this was for her to accept, it must be even harder for Khove. He was showing her something he had worked his entire life to keep secret. To hide from everyone, because of the way they would react.

  Yet somehow, he’d trusted her with the knowledge. He believe so strongly in what they were doing, that he’d risked sharing a secret with her that would have rocked the world if it got out. The stress he must have been under, the pressure.

  “Oh, Khove,” she said, returning his hug, squeezing as hard as she could. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t stop to think how hard this must be from your side. How scared you must be on a daily basis that someone will find you.”

  The big man turned away, but not before she saw his face cloud over. “We usually just try not to think of it,” he admitted. “But it’s always there, weighing down upon us.”

  “Which is why you live out in the middle of nowhere. With the wall, and the forest, and the heavy security,” she realized. “Nobody even really knows you’re out here.”

  “Exactly. We live apart,” he said. “It’s….easier that way.”

  “We?”

  “
My family,” he said quietly. “The Ursa.”

  Abruptly, details clicked. The Queen. Their House. “This is your pack,” she said in abrupt understanding.

  Khove growled wordlessly. “It is my House. The wolves are a pack. We are a family.”

  Rachel’s eyebrows merged with her hairline. “The wolves?”

  “Yes. Bear shifters. Wolf shifters. There’s a lot you don’t know about your world, a lot that’s kept hidden from you,” he teased, kissing the top of her forehead.

  “You, sir, have some explaining to do,” she ordered, pushing back in his embrace enough that she could meet his eyes. “For starters, why show me this now?”

  Khove grimaced. “Because,” he said slowly. “Because I suspect I’m going to need your complete trust before this is over.”

  She frowned, another piece falling into place. “This Korred,” she said suddenly. “He’s not just a worker for you, is he?”

  Khove shook his head.

  “He’s one of you.” It wasn’t a question anymore. She knew the truth of it now.

  “Yes.”

  “Crap.” It seemed an understatement. “Double crap.” There, that was better.

  Khove remained silent, his arms still draped across her shoulders, despite the space between them. Rachel not so reluctantly let herself be pulled back in, resting her face on his chest, feeling the warmth, the thunder of his heart.

  “Is there any other reason you decided to show me today?” she asked quietly, her voice disappearing into the dungeon around them. And why did he have a dungeon in his house? It certainly wasn’t the fun kind.

  “Well,” Khove hesitated. “After you kissed me, I—”

  Rachel pushed off his chest. “I’m sorry, what did you say? You kissed me, buster. Not the other way around.”

  “Noooo,” Khove said slowly. “I’m positive you kissed me.”

  Rachel half-snorted. “Right. If I had kissed you, you’d know.”

  “I would?”

  “Yes.”

  “How?”

  “Well,” she said, suddenly realizing she’d been mousetrapped.

  “Go on. Tell me.” His chest bounced with soft laughter. “Or show me. Give me an example of how it would be different.”